A big divide between Trump's fiery rhetoric on Muslims and actual fascism is the assumption of real power and the actual elimination of a perceived enemy, Finchelstein said.

"Once fascist politicians reach power, they switch from racist statements to the physical elimination of the other," Finchelstein said. "He's not there yet, so he's not a fascist. Fascism not only talks about the enemy, but eliminates it from the political process."

While American voters will likely not tolerate the physical elimination of their fellow citizens as part of their regular quadrennial presidential election process, the distinction is an important one to note as the increasingly unwieldy process continues in the weeks and months ahead.